What I Wanted to Hear Last Night

Leonard Green is an evening floor technician at Georgetown University Hospital and a member of SEIU 1199 United Healthcare Workers East. Originally from Guyana, Leonard has lived in the United States for eight years and is currently waiting to hear from USCIS about when he can take his oath for U.S. citizenship.

Last night he joined SEIU Secrteary-Treasurer Anna Burger and five other SEIU members to watch the President's last State of the Union Address. This is Leonard's response:

I’ve been listening to this President since the time he was canvassing for the position back in 2000. Last night, I was hoping that he would speak the truth, but I just heard the same old political talk and empty promises. Here’s what I wanted to hear:

Affordable Health Care
My father is living in a nursing home and it makes me cringe to think about those hard working people who care for him, but who can’t afford to care for themselves or their families. Out healthcare system should be set up so that healthcare workers are fully compensated. In the richest country in the world, no one should be denied the necessities.

New Foreign Policy Based on Bilateral Relations
We’ve got to build a foreign policy program based on bilateral relations and not just a big stick. We need the kind of diplomacy that the Democratic Presidential candidates are talking about, where we talk to the United Nations and other countries, rather than just going out there on our own.

Speedy Immigration Reform
I’d like to see us have a speedy immigration reform. We’ve had this problem for years and years and if we are not going to do anything to fix it, it will never change. We need to stop focusing on building a wall along the border, and pass policies that give people a fair opportunity to come here legally to and work.

Justice for American Workers
All workers must have a right to bargain. It cannot be that some people have it and others don’t. We all need it.

Election 2008 and America’s Future
I’m going to be knocking on doors. I’m going to be phone banking, and going the extra mile to ensure that we have a Democrat in office next year. We’ve got to educate people about the power of their vote. We’ve got to stop talking about majority and minority in this country, and start realizing that we’re all in this together.

Views expressed on this page are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Campaign for America's Future or Institute for America's Future